Montco reports 3 COVID deaths, 110 new cases
As the risk of community spread of the coronavirus appears to be shrinking in Montgomery County, officials reported on Tuesday that more than 100 individuals tested positive for the virus and three more people died from the virus.
The total 110 new positive COVID-19 cases recorded on Tuesday brought the county’s total number of positive cases to 46,199 since March 7, 2020, when the first two cases of the virus were identified in the county. Officials said four of the daily new cases were individuals who resided in long-term care facilities.
Officials also reported three
more COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, bringing the county’s death toll to 1,200 since the virus surfaced in the county last March.
State data regarding the risk of community transmission indicated on Tuesday that Montgomery County has moved from the substantial level of community transmission to a moderate level of transmission, another positive sign in the county’s fight against COVID-19.
Montgomery County is the only county in the Southeast Pennsylvania region to move to the moderate level of transmission and the six neighboring counties all remain in the substantial level of community transmission.
The metrics the state relies on to classify a county in the moderate level of transmission include an incident rate of 10 to 100 per 100,000 residents over the past seven days and a seven-day positivity rate of 5% to 10%.
For the period Feb. 12 to Feb. 18, Montgomery County recorded a COVID-19 percent-positivity rate of 5.8%, which was a
decrease from the 7.4% positivity rate recorded during the seven-day period Feb. 5 to Feb. 11, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s COVID-19 Early Warning Monitoring System Dashboard.
The county previously was in the substantial level of transmission and those metrics include an incident rate of greater than 100 per 100,000 residents over the past seven days or a seven-day positivity rate greater than 10%.
According to the latest weekly statewide data, there are 40 counties in the substantial, or highest, level of transmission and 24 counties in the moderate level of transmission. Only three counties – Cameron, Fulton and Sullivan – have reached the low level of transmission, which requires an incident rate of less than 10 per 100,000 residents over the past seven days and a seven-day positivity rate less than 5%.
Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported on Tuesday that 32,689 county residents had received the full two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines during the ongoing Phase 1A of the state’s vaccine distribution program. Another 74,228 county residents had received the first
dose of the vaccine, according to state data.
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses to achieve optimum protection.
Appointments are required to receive the vaccine. All those eligible for the vaccine in Phase 1A can pre-register to receive the vaccine through the county health department. The pre-registration link can be found at www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 under the green vaccination information button.
The Montgomery County Office of Public Health is operating a vaccination clinic at Norristown High School to serve those who have appointments to receive their first dose of the vaccine.
Those receiving their second dose of the vaccine are being served at a clinic hosted by the Montgomery County Community College campus in Whitpain.
County officials said testing is still available for all county residents and those who work in the county and want or need to be tested. The county has established outdoor walk-up testing sites in Pottstown, Norristown, Lansdale, Willow Grove, Ardmore and Green Lane to accommodate those who want to be tested.
The six county-run sites provide self-administered tests at no cost, although insurance will be billed if you have it. The sites do require an appointment for testing.
The six sites are open Monday through Friday, weather permitting and at varying hours. Same-day appointments can be made weekdays starting at 7 a.m. by visiting www.montcopa. org/COVID-19 and clicking on the county testing information button. Residents can also register for a test at any of the six sites by calling 610-970-2937 beginning at 8:30 a.m. daily.
In Pottstown, the testing site is located at the county’s Office of Public Health Pottstown Health Center at 364 King St.
In Norristown, a testing site is located on the parking lot of the Delaware Valley Community Health Norristown Regional Health Center at 1401 DeKalb St.
In Lansdale, a testing site is located at 421 Main St. Another testing site is located at Deep Creek and Snyder roads in the Green Lane Park area.
In Ardmore, a testing site is located at 114 W. Lancaster Ave. In Willow Grove, a testing site is at First Baptist Church - Crestmont, 1678 Fairview Ave.